Stocking and mode of making the same.



R. W. SCOTT.

STOCKING'AND MODE OF MAKING THE SAME.

APPLICATION FILED AUG- 1. 1916.-

1,5 ,4. Patented Feb. 19,1918;

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STOCKING AND MODE OF MAKING THE SAME.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-1| I915- 34v 7 Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

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ROBERT W. SCOTT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 SCOTT & WILLIAMS, INCORPORATED, A CORPORATION OF -MASSACHUSETTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 191%.

Application filed August 1, 1916. Serial No. 112,591.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT W. Soon, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Stockings and Mode of Making the Same, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the manufacture of seamless stockings having mock seams.

Objects of the invention are to provide, without interfering with the steps employed for making the ordinary stocking of this class, for forming in thestocln'ng raised or thickened wales which shall be relatively opa ue and dense, which shall not weaken the abric to which the structure is applied, and which therefore shall be suitable to imitate the sewed seam extending down the back of stockings knit as fashioned flat blanks and thereafter sewed together.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a diagram showing a back or inside view of a fabric provided with one form of the new structure;

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating intermittently thickened wales for close imitation of a looper-sewed seam;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing a differ ent arrangement of the thickening yarn;

Fig. 4 similarly shows an intermittent form of the structure of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a similar view of a thickened place only two wales wide;

Fig. 6 i a similar view showing a single thickened Wale;

Fi 7 is a diagram in plan of a circle of knitting needles illustrating one manner of incorporating the thickening yarn with the fabric;

Fig. 8 is a diagram development showing one series of movements of such knitting needles cooperating with guides for the body and thickening yarns;'

Figs. 9, 10 and 11 are diagrams illustratin arrangements on and movements of the thickenin yarn with respect to certain isolated nee es;

Fig. 12 is a transverse section of fabric illustrating the effect of the thickened place to raise a ridge or'seam above one surface of the fabric, as on line 12-12 of Fi 13; and

Fig. 13 is a side view of a stoc g illustrating the invention. 7

As shown in Fig. 13, the back of the leg fabric or any other desired part of a circulatory or tubular knit seamless stocking is provided with a longitudinal thickened place forming a mock-seam, mark or ridge 2. In the position shown the ridge or mockseam 2 imitates a sewed seam characteristic of flatfashioned hosiery, and extends through the spliced area 11..

To produce this tubular knit stocking with a thickened mock seam, I may proceed as shown in Fig. 1, in which certain wales I) of the fabric 1, in addition to the yarns la ands of which the fabric is composed, are accompanied by an auxiliary thickening yarn t enga ing the fabric at two or more wales b an floated behind said wales in floats 3 y lying on the back or inside face' of the fabric. One or more normal wales a may intervene between the wales b, and the floats y, 3 may be under any desired tension, the presence of the floats projecting the intervening wale or wales a ma ridge on the face side of the fabric, as shown in Fig. 12.

In the form of the fabric shown in Fig. 1, the engagement of the am t with the fabric is by passage of said yarn about the body yarn is at each course in the sinkerwales lying between wales a and wales b.

As illustrated at 21 in Fi 3, such an engagement of the yarn t with the body-yarn may be caused to take place in both sinkerwa es flanking the wales b and'in that case the floats 3 are shorter than the floats y, and the structure is somewhat more compact. 7

Where a narrow thickened mark or ridge is desirable, the structure illustrated at 23 in Fig. 5 may be employed, the wales b then being adjoining wales, the engagement of yarn if being the same as in the form of Fig. 1. In some situations the thickening yarn may beengaged with a single Wale I) only, as shown in Fig. 6, the yarn t in this case engaginglthe body yarn is by passing around it in bot sinker-wales flanking the wale I), and floating at y from course .to course. In all of these cases the yarn t is not knitted into the fabric but is enga ed with the fabric by being passed about t e structural yarn of which the fabric is knit. For convenience, a yarn having this kind of engagement with the fabric is hereinafter referred to as a yarn interwoven with the fabric or the yarn of which the fabric is constructed.

The above described fabric, including modifications shown in Figs. 2 and 4 presently to be described, is well adapted for manufacture on machines adapted for tubular knitting, and I will now describe procedures for forming the said fabrics illustrative of a method forming part of my invention. Referring to Figs. 7 to 11, in the instance of a circle of needles as indicated at n in Fig. 7 cooperating with a yarn guide is for the body-yarn is, between which guide and the needles there is relative rotation in v the direction of the arrow-head, the needles take the yarn k and thereafter relative movement between previous loops .of yarn is and the needles to knit is caused as usual. Without interfering with or interrupting the progress of this normal knitting, 1 provide for placing on the needles, in addition to their loops of yarn is, a wrapping of the yarn t wound about the needle or group of needles forming the Wale or wales b, b, and any wales intervening between these wales. For this purpose it is suflicient to isolate the needles for the wales 6, such as needles n, at some part of the relative rotation between the needles and a guide t for yarn t placed at the region of such isolation. As illustrated in Fig. 8, one mode of isolating these needles is to depress as shown at w all the other needles n in the neighborhood of the needles n at the time of their engagement .with the yarn t. The yarn t can then pass above the other needles to float in chords or a diameter across the needle-circle. If desired instead, elevation of the needles at above their neighbors may be employed without departing from the method. As shown in Fig. 7, if the yarn t is capable of being drawn out and recovered as the needles n recede from and again approach the guide It, see Fig. 7, as will occur if an ordinary spring yarn take-up is provided, the yarn will be wrapped 0r wound about the isolated needle or needles n in a direction opposite to the relative rotation of the needles with respect to the yarn guides, as shown by the arrows at in Figs. 9 to 11.

The yarn t is thus taken upon the needles correspondin to the wales to be thickened, (which already have loops on their shanks of the body-yarn 70,) in a position to be cast off with this previous loop of yarn is when the needles n have again taken yarn is in their hooks. If the needlesare ordinary latch needles, as illustrated, the yarn t is laid to cast off either by placing it beneath the open latches after their elevation to clear the previous body-yarn loop, or as illustrated in Fig. 8, the yarn t is laid on or under the open latches of needles n and these needles are then advanced, as at w, to clear their latches above the yarn t and through their previous loops. Knitting then again. takes place with yarn is, as at w In the case of spring-beard needles, the equivalent position for yarn t is attained by preventing yarn it when wrapped about the needles n are worked like the needles n to receive the yarn t in position to cast it off with the previous loop, yarn t as shown being passed beneath the latches of the latch needles illustrated prior to again knitting yarn k, the yarn t then engaging the yarn is only at those places (the sinker wales between a and b) where it passes from behind to in front of the needles, the yarn t taken on but cast oil from the needles 11/, n n forming the float or run 3 the yarn drawn off and recovered across the needle circle from guide 27' forming the run or float 3 But if the needle or needles 01 between the needles n are depressed when the needles n are isolated and are. then passed upward into line with the other needles prior to knittingyarn is, the yarn t isdistributed in and out among needles 71., 01, 12., the needle a passing in front of the yarn t, as shown in Fig. 9, whereupon knitting with yarn In results in the fabric shown in Fig. 3. If the needles 'n are adjacent needles, as shown in Fig. 10, the fabric shown in Fig. 5 results. If but a single needle a is employed, the auxiliary thickening yarn t is wrapped about this needle and cast OE With the previous loop, the fabric thenhaving a single thickened Wale b as shown in Fig. 6, the yarn t thrown off and recovered across the needle circle floating at 3 from course to course.

In some cases where an imitation of a sewed seam is desirable, an intermitted or interrupted thickened Wale may be made which is closely imitative of the sewed seam. Referring now to Figs. 2 and 4, said figures represent at 20 and at 22 the respective fabrics shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the thickened structure being intermitted by causing the auxiliary yarn t not to engage with the body yarn 1n one or more courses of the body fabric, shown as courses at, the yarn t floating at y during knitting of this course. Such an intermission may be caused in any form of the fabric illustrated by any suitable means, such as by moving the yarn guide t out of range of the isolated needles n, etc., at predetermined intervals, or .by

causing the means employed for isolating.

the said needles to become inoperative, or'to act to depress the isolated needles out of range of the yarn t. Machine devices for the purpose, which form no part of the present. invention and are not herein claimed, may compr se for instance needles n differentlated 1n the length of their butts from depress all the other needles at the region of guide t.

Whether or not the thickened place is continuous as shown in Figs. 1, 3, 5 and 6, or intermittent, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, it will be understood that the invention includes such a thickened place begun and ended in any predetermined part of a continuous body fabric. In a stocking, for instance, the thickened place 2 may imitate a seam at the back extending from a point beneath the welt to a point above the heel, the remainder of the fabric being formed without engaging the yarn t with it, as shown in Fi 13.

The descri ed structure is well adapted to be formed in a stocking having one or more spliced areas, as the high splice h shown above the heel in Fig. 13, and for that reason can be used as a more perfect imitation than heretofore of a sewed seam. It will be observed that the extremes only of the loops or bights of the yarn t engage the sinker wales only, by mere passage about the yarn or yarns knit by the knitting needles; that is to say, are interwoven only and are not interknit. As well known to those skilled in the art, such spliced areas as the area it are formed of the body-yarn k and an additional splicing yarn 8. There is little room in a knit loop of the usual texture for this splicing yarn, and it is usually necessary to increase the length of stitch at such portions of the fabric as are spliced by the addition of the yarn 8. My new structure, in each of its forms, but as specifically illustrated in Figs. 1, 4, and 13, only, is adapted to be made in or through such a spliced area. By the specific methods described,

' the various yarns are engaged without forming in the double yarn stitches of the spliced area any knit loop of a third yarn, and therefore without necessarily providing for differentially increasing the length of stitch in any of the longitudinally thickened wales. It will be observed in connection with Fig. 7 that the thickening yarn t passes across the needle circle. If, now, the needles n are among those to which the splicing yarn s is applied, as shown in solid lines in Fig. 7,

the needles n are always permitted to pass the splicing yarn guide 8, when splicing is being done, without the float of yarn t extending across the circle encountering or twisting with the float of the yarn 8. When the yarn s is withdrawn from the needles which are not to receive it to float diametrically across the circle, the needles n are in a part of the circle at which the float of am t can not encounter the float of the spllcing yarn 8. When the splicing yarn s is finally withdrawn, it may, as usual, he cut and clamped, leaving the yarn t free to make the described movements during knitting of following unspliced portions.

The continuous additional yarn 25, whatever the particular structure by which it engages the fabric, lies wholly on the back or inside of the fabric by reason of the mode of applying said yarn during knitting, and I may employ for the yarn t a yarn varying in kind or color from the body-yarn k without damaging the appearance of the face of the fabric.

What I claim is:

1. A seamless tubular knit stockin having at the back of the leg a thickene mock seam formed by means of an additional yarn engaging wales on the inner face of the stocking.

2. A seamless tubular knit stocking having at the back of the leg a thickened mock seam comprising an additional yarn interwoven with certain wales thereof on the inner face of the stocking.

3. A seamless tubular knit stocking having a thickened wale comprising an additional yarn engaging the body fabric in successive courses, said engagement being intermitted at intervals for one or more courses, whereby to imitate a sewed seam.

4. A seamless tubular knit stocking having at the back of the leg a thickened mock seam formed by means of an additional yarn engaging wales on the inner face of the stocking, the latterhaving a spliced area with the mock seam passing through said spliced area.

5. A seamless tubular knit stocking having at the back of the leg a thickened mock seam consisting of an additional yarn interwoven with certain Wales thereof on the inner face of the stocking, the latter havlng a spliced area with the mock seam passing through said spliced area.

6. A seamless tubular knit stocking having a thickened wale comprising an additional yarn engaging the body fabric knit in successive courses, said engagement being intermitted at intervals for one or more courses, whereby to imitate a sewed scam, the stocking having a spliced area, the mock seam passing through said spliced area.

7. A seamless tubular knit stocking having therein spaced-apart wales connected by an additional yarn repeatedly and alternately engaging the fabric in one and in another of said wales only, said additional yarn not being engaged with any of the intervening wales and being under tension.

8. A seamless tubular knit stocking having therein a mock seam comprising one or more wales of the knit fabric and an additional yarn lying on the inner face of the stocking and engaged with the structural yarn of the fabric at either side of said Wale or wales only, whereby the fabric at said wale or wales is thickened and raised.

9. A'knit fabric having thickened wales comprising an additional yarn engaged with the body fabric during knitting of successive courses, said thickened wales being intermitted at intervals for one or more courses whereby to imitate a sewed seam.

10. The method of knitting comprising applying to one or more isolated needles of a circular series of needles an auxiliary yarn and distributing said yarn to form a thickened wale or wales by delivering the said auxiliary yarn to said isolated needles only during relative rotation between said needles and the point of delivery of said yarn.

11. The art of knitting seamless tubular knit stockings having thickened mock seams comprising forming on a series of needles from a main yarn knit fabric, and simultaneously applying to a plurality of needles separated by intervening needles of said series a continuous wrapping of auxiliary yarn, arranging said wrapping behind said intervening needles and engaging said wrapping with the fabric by knitting pn said fabric with respect to said wrappin a course of the main yarn.

12. The method of knitting comprising feeding to one or more isolated needles of a circular series of needles an auxiliary yarn distributed to form a thickened wale or wales by delivering the said auxiliary yarn to said isolated needles only during relative rotation between said needles and the point of delivery of said yarn, causing the auxiliary yarn wrapped or wound thereby upon the isolated needles to pass behind one or more needles intervening between said separated needles, and thereafter knitting a course of the body fabric at all of the needles.

13. The art of forming a wrapping of yarn about a narrow group of needles rotating in a circular path comprising causing the needles to take the yarn at passage by a yarn-guide outside of said path, delivering the yarn across said circle d urlng passage away from the yarn-guide of-the group of needles, and recovering the yarn during approach of said needles and the yarn-guide.

14:. The art of forming a wrap ing of yarn about a narrow group ofnee les rotating in a circular path comprising isolating needles of said group from the remaining needles whereby to cause the isolated needles to take the yarn at passage by a yarn-guide outside of said path, delivering the yarn across said circle during passage away from the yarn-guide of the group of needles, and recovering the yarn during approach of said needles and the yarn-guide.

15. The art of knitting on a series of needles fabrics having a longitudinal thickened seam or mark imitating a sewed seam comprising forming a wrapping of a continuous auxiliary thickening yarn about a narrow group of needles in each course of a plurality of courses, intermitting the wrapping operation and knitting a course of the body fabric during one or more courses, and thereafter repeating the said operations.

16. The art of knitting on a circle of needles fabrics having a spliced area and a mock-seam structure comprising alternately feeding to a segment of said needles and floating across said circle a splicing yarn, and feeding to certain needles only of said segment and floating across said circle an additional thickening yarn.

17. The art of knitting on a circle of needles fabrics having a spliced area and a mock-seam structure comprising alternately feeding to a segment of said needles and floating across said circle from a certainposition a splicing yarn, while forming a wrapping of an additional yarn about certain of said needles by feeding and floating said additional yarn from another position.

18. The art of knitting on a circle of needles fabrics having a spliced area and a mock-seam structure comprising alternately feeding to a segment of said needles and floating across said circle a splicing yarn, and feeding to and floating acrosssaid circle from certain needles of said segment of needles only an additional continuous yarn.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this twentyninth day of July, 1916.

ROBERT W. SCOTT. 

